Smithsonian Institution Collections

Huron Mountain Banjo

Smithsonian Museum

National Museum of American History

Description

This five-string fretless banjo was made by John Huron in Bristol, Tennessee in 1996. It is a “Mountain Banjo” and bears the serial number MB-042. It has a cherry wood body, rosewood tuners and tailpiece, and a groundhog hide head.

John Huron is a builder and player of a variety of historical instruments. He has combined music, history, and folklore in classes and demonstrations throughout the United States to preserve the heritage of Appalachian instruments and music.